Planting Flowers
One of my blogger friends posted this question the other day: “What is your favorite thing about Spring?” My answer? Planting flowers.
Most years, I spend a good portion of Mother’s Day weekend planting flowers around our house. We usually add a few perennials to the mix, and I plant a variety of shade flowers in our front beds. Impatiens, begonias, coleus, and lots of hostas are staples in our yard.
Do you garden? Do you do it yourself or hire someone to plant flowers for you? I do a little of both. I take my planter boxes/pots to the nursery and have them plant those early in the season, so that by the time I can put them outside the flowers are full and lush and gorgeous already.
Living in Colorado, the rule of thumb here is that you never plant flowers (annuals) before Mother’s Day – usually a safe time to know that there won’t be a freeze after the second weekend in May. Last week, we had almost-freezing temps mid-week after Mother’s Day. So, I kept all the flowers in the basement and waited.
I have many friends who grow their own plants from seed, and start everything inside in early March. Me? I buy my plants at the end of April/beginning of May and am happy to do the planting, but don’t do so well with babying the seeds from the beginning.
For the in-ground plants, I do it all myself. I love it! I love spending hours organizing the flower beds and sorting out the various colors, sizes and textures into a new mix every year. Which makes every year a little bit different, and it is such a nice thing to enjoy at our house, all summer long.
A couple weeks ago, Kristi talked about the Art of Reinventing Yourself…when we plant flowers in the Spring, aren’t we kind of reinventing our gardens? And isn’t it amazing?
Springtime is a time of renewal. All of the plants come back to life, the trees bud out and keep growing. Perennials come up, year after year. No matter what else has happened – hail or a hard freeze or other weather – those plants still come back the next year. Isn’t nature great?
I’ve talked a lot in the last few weeks about taking life one thing at a time, and doing the needful as it comes. Last week, I talked about life being a little bit like Email Triage – we cover the big stuff and sometimes the little things fall through the cracks. Sometimes, Dropping the Ball on those little things happens, and it’s ok!
The great thing about life? Springtime always comes around, and at some point life cycles through and we come to a time when we have some breathing room to catch up. And taking the time to plant, making time to spend an afternoon outside in the fresh air always gives me a boost!
Life Happens, and Mother Nature doesn’t always cooperate with our plans. I bought my flowers two weeks ago, and had to keep watering them inside for awhile.
Planting flowers makes me happy. I love taking the time to do it, letting my kids run around and play outside or help me dig a few holes along the way (they are never as interested in helping with all of them).
Every Spring, I take the time for planting flowers, choosing all of the plants, digging holes, tamping down the dirt and watering, then covering the beds with mulch. We enjoy the whole process, and then we enjoy the beauty for months.
Don’t we all do that with our families? Plant little seeds of wisdom with our kids, and hope and pray that they learn and grow and remember all of those little nuggets? Taking those Teachable Moments and using them to plant little bits of wisdom for them to remember later.
I am always a little surprised and excited when one of my kids says something that I know I’ve told them or taught them – sometimes months or years before – and they have picked it up along the way.
Life has a way of showing us how much those little things do matter. Planting flowers in the springtime gives me joy – and we all need more joy in our lives.
Oh Jaime, you took the words right out of my mouth! How I love springtime and planting my flower gardens!!! I have my one big one and a smaller one in the backyard and my mailbox garden. I also have plants sitting inside the house just waiting to be planted. I can’t plant as much in the ground anymore but have my perennials and since it’s too hard for me to get down to plant annuals I plant pots and place them around in the gardens. I just love every minute of it from the excitement of going to the different nurseries/stores and buying the plants to getting them planted. I can spend hours and days doing this. This year I’m slower since Ed has been struggling so with his health and is in the hospital again for the third time since Feb. I have gotten out a little to try to get the old plants out. I’m so lucky to have a great guy that mows, trims, sprays, takes care of the watering system and does anything else I need him to do! He has even gone out and cleaned out my gardens so I can start planting. I can’t wait to get my hands in the dirt and watch my pots and gardens come to life!!! We’re hoping Ed will get to come home again Mon. or Tues. and when we get back into a routine again I hope to get outside to bring my gardens to life but Ed always comes first!
I must admit that I do plant some pots with real pretty silk flowers in them since they don’t get the water but I even love getting them planted also!
Your flower beds look beautiful and now the fun begins again by watching them all grow and fill in the beds! I think we’re pretty safe on no more frost but just keep our fingers crossed for that hard white stuff to stay away!!!
You’ve done an excellent job also of planting such good lessons and life skills for your kiddos! Happy gardening Jaime!!!
Love you guys bunches!!!
Thanks Carrie! I hope you can get the flowers in and enjoy them! Glad to hear Uncle Eddie is coming home. Love you!
Jaime